Daniel Cormier Apologises To ‘Rumble’ Johnson: ‘I Should Not Have Said That’

Daniel Cormier and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson have been going back and forth on social media this week, but it appears the UFC light heavyweight champion is extending the olive branch.

Speaking today on MMAJunkie Radio, Cormier recalled what had taken place between the two of them in the past five days.

“There are two sides to everybody,” Cormier said. “There’s a part of me that is ultra-competitive and there’ a part of me that, there’s just a different part of me right. If I feel like a guy is a threat I can kind of want to attack him right and if I feel like being disrespected in any way, I really want to attack them.

“So yesterday after Rumble put that post up, I tweeted him, but then I texted him because I was like mad. I like wanted to fight him. The reality is, I texted him things that weren’t very cool you know, but then I was talking to someone who means a lot to me and they were like, ‘Why are you so mad? You said stuff,’ and the reality is, I was wrong.

“I shouldn’t have called him soft, but I didn’t like the action, but why do I expect so much out of him you know.”

You know, why do I expect him to be respectful and still compete at the highest level of the sport.”

Cormier proceeded to explain his initial anger a little more and said that he just couldn’t understand the compassion that Johnson had shown to a man that he thought should’ve been both their rival.

“Look, I’ll walk it back a bit, I shouldn’t have said anything about him being soft,” Cormier said. “Everybody doesn’t have to view competition like I do and if he wants to be friends with him [Jon Jones] and be nice and cordial then fine, what does that matter to me.”

“I just didn’t like seeing them hugging and stuff,” Cormier continued. “I was like what the hell is going on? That’s a guy you could fight at some point. I didn’t like it when they did that joke at the press conference when they were going to fight each other because it’s not something I could see myself doing.”

Cormier then went on to explain that the man that talked him out of his anger towards Johnson was none other than Ali Abdelaziz. He then went on to double down on his previous apology.

“I said it before, I hope he comes back,” Cormier said. “He should be fighting, he’s that good. It was just so quick. It just seemed like he should’ve taken a little more time making that decision, but who am I to pick when he retires.

“So I got to talk to Rumble. I need to talk to Rumble and try to either apologize or make it right in some shape or form. The reality is I was wrong. Not everyone should view competition like I do.

“So to Anthony Johnson, I apologize. I should Not have said that. I should not have said that.”